Concrete containers are commonly used for storing various quantities of liquid and solid substances. Traditionally, the fabrication of a concrete container begins by pouring a concrete base slab. Keyways are shaped into the top surface of the base slab, into which the bottom end of concrete walls are set and shimmed. The keyways provide a form of restraint along the bottom of the concrete walls during container construction. Non-shrink grout and various adhesives are utilized to fill in any gaps between the keyway and the concrete wall, and make the system watertight.
While keyways work well for many applications, they are not always structurally appropriate when constructing tall concrete containers. In such applications, the tall height of concrete walls results in a heavy load being placed at the base of the walls. When the concrete containers are filled, shear force is placed on the concrete wall, and in particular, on the keyways and the relatively small portion of the concrete wall inserted in the keyways. The sheer force can result in spalling, grout cracking, and other structural failures in concrete tanks using keyways. There is a need for alternative designs that eliminate the use of keyways in the construction of concrete containers, and instead allow walls to be placed on a planar base slab.